Chihuahua with a contact lens

We had an older chihuahua mix come in that had an ulcer on his eye. An ulcer is a scratch on the surface of the eye, also known as the cornea. We originally treated the eye with an antibiotic ointment to help prevent infection and to moisturize the eye to allow it to heal. The ulcer did respond to treatment at first, but then the ulcer on the eye stopped healing and the scratch on the eye actually became deeper. Sometimes if an ulcer does not heal, you can actually take tissue from underneath the eyelid and sew it onto the eye to cover and help heal the scratch. However, since this dog was a little older and had a few other health problems, we decided to look into alternative methods to treat the ulcer that did not involve surgery. We did some research and found that you can place a contact on the eye to cover and protect the eye to help it heal. So that is what we decided to do in this case. We actually used a human contact and placed it on the dogs eye. Below is a picture of Dr. Cowan preparing to put the contact in the eye. Unfortunately, the contact did not help the eye to heal completely. But we did learn a lot from the case, and hopefully can try this method again in the future. We thank Dr. Kevin Walker for providing us with the contact lens. 

Sick little guinea pig

We had a guinea pig that came in because it was congested and had a decreased appetite. The guinea pig was about a year old and had not any previous healthy problems. We examined the guinea pig and found that it was slightly underweight, and we also heard some abnormal sounds when we listened to its lungs. We then took an x-ray of the guinea pig. The x-ray showed a lot of fluid and inflammation in the lungs, indicating a respiratory infection. We treated the guinea pig by first giving it fluids to help rehydrate it and make it feel better. Then the guinea pig was started on two medications. One of the medications, lasix, is a diuretic and was used to help get the fluid out of the lungs to help the guinea pig breathe better. The other medication was Baytril, an antibiotic that was used to clear the infection. Both of these medications came in tablet form so they had to be crushed and mixed with water in order to be given to the guinea pig. We sent the guinea pig home with instructions for the owner to continue the medications for a week. The guinea pig is now doing much better.

Blue Heron

Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to work with a blue heron. The heron was found in a cold creek, and appeared very weak. It did not fly away when approached like a normal, healthy heron. The people that found the heron were able to use a towel to catch it and bring it in to us. While we worked with the heron, we had to make sure we had control of its beak at all times. Even a weak, injured heron could strike at us with its long beak. When we examined the heron, it was weak and underweight, but we did not find any injury or cause of the problem. Our next step was to do an x-ray of the bird. The x-ray showed some abnormalities in the lungs and air sacs (extensions of the lungs present in birds). We came to the conclusion that the heron most likely had a respiratory infection. We gave the bird an antibiotic shot and some fluids. The fluids were given underneath the skin (SQ fluids), just like fluids are often given in dogs and cats. The next day, the heron appeared more lively, so we sent the heron to a bird rehabber. There are two pictures of the heron below. The first picture is when we first examined the bird, and the second picture is from the next day when the heron was doing better. We will post any updates from the rehabber on how the blue heron is doing.

Winter weather!!!

We have already had our second occurence of icy, snowy weather. I just wanted to go over a few things to remember on wintry days like today. Keep your pets indoors if at all possible to help them stay warm. If they are outside, keep them in a safe, confined area with access to shelter where they can go to stay warm and dry. Do now allow them to run loose. When there is inclement weather, pets are more likely to get injured or even lost. Dogs have more difficulty finding their scent in winter weather making them more likely to get lost. Be careful of the salt used to melt snow and ice. It can be harmful if your pets licks or ingests the salt. It is always beneficial to check your pet's feet for any cuts after being outside in snow and ice, and to wipe off any snow or salt that they may have collected on their feet. It you have any concerns about your pet in this winter weather or are interested in boarding your pet here during winter weather please give us a call.

Christmas Parade!

We hope you will join us for the Walnut Cove Christmas parade on Saturday, December 11th at 2pm.  Dr. Cowan will be driving her VW van, and Bat, our clinic dog, will be riding in the van to help navigate down the parade route. Many of the staff members will be walking their own dogs, ranging from a little chihuahua, to a standard poodle to a 120+ pound german shepherd mix. Starting around 10am the morning of the parade, we will have a booth set up at the town house (located across from the Walnut Cove fire department, next to CVS). Dr. Slivka and some of the staff will be at the booth availiable to answer any questions you may about veterinary medicine. We will also be selling raffle tickets for two pet gift baskets worth over $250 dollars each. The baskets contains items ranging from a free exam, to free boarding for two nights, to a scroll saw fretwork picture of a dog and cat. Raffle tickets are $1 each, and the drawing will be held at the end of the month. We hope to see you there!

Keep your furry friends safe in cold weather

Now that the weather is getting colder and colder, there are several things you need to keep in mind when in comes to your pets. First of all, it is important to keep your pets warm. If possible, allow them to come indoors, especially at night when temperatures are the lowest. If you have an outdoor pet, make sure they have an enclosed shelter with bedding where they can go to stay warm, stay out of any rain or snow and be protected from wind. If there is an unusually frigid night, consider bringing your outdoor pets in for the night or boarding them for a night at the clinic. If you have a short-haired pet such as a chihuahua or miniature pinscher, consider getting them a sweater to help trap body heat and keep them warmer.

Make sure outdoor pets have plenty of fresh water, and make sure their water supply does not freeze. Make sure you adjust your pet's diet if needed. Some pets may need more food during the winter due to the extra energy needed to keep them warm outside, while other pets may need less food during the winter due to being less active in the winter.

Cats often like to take a warm nap under the hood of a car during the winter time. But they can be injured or killed by the fan belt when the car is started. To prevent this, bang on the hood of your car or honk your horn and then wait a few seconds before starting the engine. This is especially important in an area where there is a lot of outdoor cats.

Antifreeze is used more often in the winter, but it is very lethal to dogs and cats. Unfortunately many animals are attracted to its sweet taste. Make sure to clean up any spills and to keep anti-freeze away from any animals. You can also look for animal-friendly products that contain propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. Hopefully you and your furry friends can have a warm and safe winter.